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State Constitutional Court reprimands Saxony-Anhalt: Greens sue successfully!
The state constitutional court in Saxony-Anhalt criticized the government's budget management after a lawsuit by the Greens was successful.
State Constitutional Court reprimands Saxony-Anhalt: Greens sue successfully!
The State Constitutional Court of Saxony-Anhalt made a groundbreaking decision on June 30, 2025. The constitutional complaint by the parliamentary group of Alliance 90/The Greens was heard. It's about the controversial budget procedure for 2024, which the court has now declared unlawful. The Greens' main point of criticism was the use of “global underspending” without sufficiently transparent justification. Specifically, it was a flat-rate deduction of 437 million euros, which represents almost three percent of the total budget volume.
The Green MP Olaf Meister emphasized that the lack of clarity about the affected projects and the calculation basis for the deduction is unacceptable. Under the current conditions, Parliament cannot exercise its budgetary rights properly. Over 90 percent of the budget is tied up due to legal requirements, which makes planning the remaining funds more difficult. The court also emphasized that global underspending is generally permissible, but must be realistically estimated and comprehensibly justified.
Fundamental budget reform called for
Another central concern of the Greens is ending double planning in the state budget. Olaf Meister, parliamentary manager and financial policy spokesman for the Greens, described going to court as the last resort against the lack of transparency. According to current information, the state government is again planning a fixed approach to global underspending for the 2024 draft budget, which creates a gap between planned income and expenditure. This gap of 437 million euros is viewed as unacceptable because it exceeds the permitted budgetary scope.
Despite all the criticism, the state government continued to submit comparable drafts, which were approved by the state parliament. The Constitutional Court's ruling strengthens Parliament's rights by making it clear that the government cannot plan for financial gaps based on guesswork. This decision is welcomed by the Green Group as a significant step towards more transparent financial management. Meister demands that clear and comprehensible criteria must be used in the future instead of budget policy fictions.
The various facets of this issue raise fundamental questions about budget management and underline the need for reform of current practices. The court's full decision can be viewed on the State Constitutional Court website and provides further details on this important decision. It remains to be seen whether this development will lead to transparent and comprehensible financial management in the long term.
For more information on the details of the lawsuit and the court's decision, please visit the website HallSpectrum and the Green parliamentary group in Saxony-Anhalt.